Deep in the Mojave Desert, where California fades into Nevada, the ragged remains of ghost towns are strewn across salt-crusted soil, lost at the ends of bumpy roads, and tucked into rocky mountain canyons. Here are some spots that are easy to miss—although you won’t want to.

From cultural sights such as ancient petroglyphs and heiau, and an abandoned plantation village, to Hawaii’s last dryland forest and a naturally-occurring moonscape, sightseeing on Lana’i can be a quick browse of each or a leisurely immersion.

El Teniente is the world’s largest underground mine. Its original residential community of Sewell is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, emphasizing the historic, economic, and social significance of copper mining in the region.

Like the Mojave, the Atacama desert has its share of ghost towns. Humberstone, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the remains of a sprawling company town that grew up in response to massive surface mining for nitrates.